Long-Term UpdatePinned

6-month update: AirPods Pro 2 — my honest experience as an audiophile

Alex M.Expert2026-02-013.8K views

I posted a review when I first got these and gave them 4/5. After 6 months of daily use (2-3 hours/day), here's what's changed:

What improved: Adaptive audio got noticeably better with firmware updates. Conversation awareness works almost perfectly now.

What degraded: Battery life dropped about 15-20% from new. I now get ~4.5 hours vs 6 hours initially. ANC performance seems slightly worse too, though this might be ear tip wear.

What I wish was different: I still miss the granular EQ control of the Sony WF-XM5. The AirPods sound profile is good but not customizable enough for critical listening.

Verdict at 6 months: Still 4/5. The ecosystem integration is unbeatable if you're in Apple. But if pure audio quality is #1, the Sony is still king.

long-termaudiophilebatteryowner-verified

45 Replies

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Alex M.ExpertVerified Owner2026-02-05

Worth adding: I replaced the ear tips with Comply foam tips and the ANC improved noticeably. The seal is better than silicone for most ear shapes. It also helped with the fit during workouts. About $15 for a pack — highly recommended upgrade.

55 found helpful

David R.ContributorVerified Owner2026-02-02

Great update. I'm at 4 months with mine and noticed the same battery degradation — down to about 5 hours from 6. Apple told me this is "within normal parameters" which is frustrating for $250 earbuds. Have you tried the Hearing Test feature? It's surprisingly accurate and makes the spatial audio calibration much better.

20 found helpful